STAGELAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 21, 22 December 1928, Page 7

STAGELAND.

(By “Jack Point.”) Alfred Frith is due in Australia in a week or two from America. Australian theatregoers are rejoicing at his return. He will appear in March with Annie Croft in “The Five O’Clock Girl,” an American musical comedy. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., are bringing a new American company from the States to play a comedy called “Pigs.” Coming for “Pigs” .are Allen Bunce, Ruth Nugent, and Mr and Mrs Trader. The Traders were in Australia in the good old days of Nellie Stewart and her orange girl triumphs. These artists are due on January 5. Lorna Helms will be married in Melbourne at the end of the run of “Desert Song,” and when “The Girl Friend” returns to Sydney Billie Lockwood will play. her part in it. Irene Vanbrugh is jotting down notes for a book of reminiscences which will be compiled when she returns to England. “The Girl Friend” company will open at Wellington on Monday. William Valentine is returning from abroad under engagement to J. C. Williamson, Ltd., to play juvenile leads in musical comedy. Mr Valentine was born in Dunedin. He has been in Palmerston North in “The Firefly” nnd “The Lilac Domino.” He left Australia a few years ago and, for his talents, achieved considerable success in the United States. Madame Evelyn Scotney, Willie Murdoch, pianist, and Harold Williams, the Australian baritone, are among the concert artists who will visit Australia next year. Esmonde and Nancy Jones, the son and daughter of Dr. YV. E. Jones, the general inspector of the insane of Victoria, are joining the Vanbrugh-Bou-cicault company for their. New Zealand tour. They are Melbourne amateurs, and have had experience with “The Optimists,” under Mrs George Bell, wire of the al'tist. This amateur society gives a yearly perform,ance, and the brother and sister have been’in them for three years running. -They are also well known as dancers. Nellie Stewart is flirting with the idea of going to England to lift her melodious voice in the new “Talkies.” Some of her friends have almost persuaded her that this sort of work would appeal to her, but some of us, states “Puck” in the Sydney Sun, are inclined to think that if the screen announced “Miss Nellie Stewart will be the voice for the heroine in this picture,” the audience would rise in a body and cry: “Let's see her! The Vanbrugh-Boucicault plans are as follow: —This evening, “Aren't YYe All” will be revived for one week in Sydney, and on December 29, “Mr Pim Passes By” will be presented lor ! the last nine nights of the season. The j company mako their final farewell to i the Sydney stage in that play, and I then come to New Zealand. Irene I Vanbrugh’s understudy is Annie | Saker, who is the only member left of the original company Dion Boucicault brought out this time. An up-to-date picture of the once celebrated Edna May in a current London Sketch shows her a little latter, and little softer in expression, a little older, but still a very beautilul woman. In spite of her great vogue, she has only, returned to the stago once since her marriage to Mr Oscar Lowisohn, and that was to play her old part in Ihe Belle oh New York” at a charity matinee, Over twenty, years ago Edna May took London by storm as the fSalyatum Array,-, lassie in the charming musie&l eora-j Cd p or “Dick Whittington,” the Grand Svdney Opera House forthcoming pantomime, Violet. Lester has been chosen to play principal boy. The comedians will be Jack Cannot, Dan Thomas, Fred Bluett and Robert After the pantomime is finished tne policy of this theatre will be twice

daily revue, the programme to be charmed every week. , Robert Roberts had a repertory of twonty-eix rovues. At one time he was producer for tho Fullers. _ , , Peter Hatton, the English actor, has arrived in Australia. He is on a health trip. Mr Hatton played Bill in “Good Morning, Bill, by P. GWodehouse, in London. He is not under contract to act in Australia, but if his health improves sufficiently ho intends to, enter an He has brought four plays with him Tho Fanatic,” by Miles Malleson; Good Morning, Bill,” by. Wodehouse; Eeenne ” by Galsworthy; and lwo White Arms,” by Dr. Deardon, part author of “Interference. “As a producer, I take off my hat to that great little man Dion Boucicault ” states Charles Hallard, a member of the Leon Gordon oompany. “Many a time when I have been producing under hdm I have had cause to bo grateful. In production he is magnificent, and we all know it m London Another extraordinary fellow for getting effects out of bare material is Gerald Du Maurior. Ho can make melodrama actual with his drawingroS?gMrUMarotta and Signora Marotte (Eva Webb-Jones, of the Williamson grand opera company) gave a recital at Wanganui—the homo town of the sig-i nora—this week. Operatic selections and excerpts from English, Italian, Russian, German and other composers comprised the programme. Maud Allan is coming out of her

lone retirement to danoe again in January at a Sunday afternoon conceit at the Albert Hall, London. _ S o will dance to illustrate the music of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Smyphony, which takes relatively 60 mmutes to Afterwards she will revive some ot her old dances that stirred London twenty years ago. Then she was accused of wearing costumes remarkable for their . invisibility., but nowadays the famous, Maud Allan draperies would be con sidered positively stuffy. . - : These are some of the impressions formed by Mr J. H. Taft, director of, J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in the course , of his long sour abroad. Paris revue i 3 as daring as ever. | Australian artists are all doing well in their particular spheres. Musical comedy is improving m England,' although more pep is needed In New York comedy and drama .are at a very low ebb. Talkies will have to go a long way before they become a permanent feature of entertainment. Among the- noted artists met b;y Tai>t were Madame Galli Curci, Pavlova (who will visit Australia and New Zealand next year), Sir Harry Lauder, Dame Clara Butt, Jascha Heifetz, Kennerly Rumford, and Josie Melville. Mr Tait also had a, long talk with Edgar Wallace, who hinted that he might travel to Australia to write one of his thrillers ithero. Tho following lines are from The Truth Game,” one of London s present time comedies: . “When shall we he married P lean manage any day, but Thursday.” “What a pity I Thursday’s my only free day.” , , , “Have you ever been made love to by a mad man?” “Yes, invariably.” “We’re speaking as if we were in a divorce court?” “Don’t talk shop!” “His wife is on a tour in India.” “What’s India done?” j!